Never To End
by dead.tribute.no1498
Summary: [Closed. This fanfic was poorly planned so sorry to those who we're expecting a Hunger Games fanfic.]


**Author's Note: ****_Taking into account the _****absolutely amazing****_ advice my mutual-fanfic-writer-friend gave me, I'm going to write a fanfic based on The Hunger Games. Hopefully this turns out well._**

Sirens, the sirens were ringing.

It was time to cross fingers and hope I wouldn't be raffled as District 12 Tribute.

I passed the Peacekeeper that recorded all the blood samples. "Go ahead," she said. More Peacekeepers directed me to the appropriate area. The fervent hubbub of the densely organized crowd rang in my ears. _...wish Reese would get picked, god I hate him _so_ much...Please, please, please, oh dear god...Yvonne? Yvonne?..don't worry it's going to be alright... _

Luke Ritewither, the only son of a widowed mother. I was only 15, or at least I think I'm 15 now. It was obvious when a new year started. The deep, stinging snow and the hushed homes were conspicuous.

I spotted Effie Trinket in her glittering white and pink trim silk dress on the stage, her heels aiding her height. She tapped the microphone as she always did, every year. She repeated welcome twice, as does every year. The played the same film, _The Art of War_, which they did, every, _damn_, year. It would always be entertaining to watch Effie as she mouthed every word by heart, as if religiously. As she spoke, her words were muffled. I myself could repeat her antic, reciting her script by heart. Someone bumped into me right as she was sticking her hand into the Reaping Ball, _Ladies first_. I had survived 3 years of Reaping, my name going in twice the required amount to help support my mother and I through the Capitol's tessera program.

She gingerly glided across the stage, bouncing in her heels as the female Tribute walked up to the stage. _Indigo Lockhearst_.

Suddenly though, Effie turned back, her face turning a distinctive red that was visible even though all the heavy creme on her face.

"Silly me," she fumbled over to the microphone, "how darest I forget. Welcome to," she took a dramatic pause, "the Fourth Quarter Quell." She smiled, stiffly, then returned back to the female side of the stage. There laid a smaller Reaping Ball half the size of the former. District 12 only had three living tributes, but it was full. _Definitely a way to instill fear into a Victor. _Before Effie could even begin to stretch out her arm, a Victor from the stage stood up and said, "I volunteer as Tribute." Katniss Everdeen. I wasn't alive for the Hunger Games she won.

Effie, wearing a face of forged shock, shrugged, immediately smiling afterwards. I was growing agitated with anticipation to see who the male tribute would be. She walked over to the male Reaping Ball. I closed my eyes. In my mind I expected it to not be me. I kept my eyes closed as tense seconds slipped away.

"Luke," she paused, my shoulders tensing, "R-r," she stuttered, my heard racing, hoping it wasn't me, "Ritewither." I opened my eyes as my shoulders fell. She finally muttered the surname, as those surrounding me stared at me with blank expressions. My mother, Pomeline, fell to her knees as my mouth gaped open. The Peacekeepers were approaching my location. The bystanders created a path to the aisle, and the lead Peacekeeper grabbed me by the shoulder, the quartet escorting me to the stage. I turned around, looking not at the audience, but at the coal trains in the background. My mother was surrounded by other parents, who were trying their best to comfort her.

Effie continued to the Victor's Reaping Ball. There were only two males. She drew up a paper, unfolding it to reveal the fourth tribute's name. _Peeta Mellark_. He got up, his face blank like mine and all the other people. The Victor sitting next to him patted him on the shoulder. Effie pushed us up to the center.

"Our Tributes, Indigo Lockhearst, Katniss Everdeen, Luke Ritewither, and Peeta Mellark, representing District 12 in the 100th annual Hunger Games. Alrighty."

Peacekeepers led us into the Justice Building. We were all situated in separate rooms. A husk Peacekeeper shoved my mother into the room, her face ashen from fear. I immediately rushed up to hug her tightly.

"Mom, don't worry I'll be fine," I nobly lied.

"I know, I know," she replied. She handed me something.

"Take this."

"What is it?" The object seemed to have its own covering. It was also relatively small.

"Luke, do you know where your family's roots are?"

I was silent for a little while.

"Luke, you have to understand, we've been here before Panem even became a nation. Don't you _ever_ forget that. Uncover it."

It was a sharp and narrow evergreen tree with some sort of ribbon engraving wrapping around the tree. I looked up at my mother, the tears gone and her expression hard.

"But, m-mom, are you sure they'll let me keep this?"

She hugged me tighter.

"No, you'll have to figure a way to conceal it. I know you're smart."

Right as she completed her statement, the Peacekeeper escorted my mom.

I stood up.

"Wait." He turned back, glaring at me.

I grabbed my mom again.

"Mom, no matter what happens, I'll always love you, and even if I don't m-"

"Shh," tears began to well up in both of us.

"Don't worry son, I guarantee, you'll make it through."

The Peacekeeper interrupted our moment.

"It's time now."

I stood by the door as I watched both of them walk down the hallway. I closed the door. Contemplation, curiosity, and anxiety was all that was left in me. The room appeared to be an office, only a proper desk was not to be found. I settled down in one of the chairs. Uncovering the emblem yet again, I studied it. It was a fascinating work of art. The pine was thinner than my index finger, despite its bony composure. It was also half as long. Losing this important piece of my family history would leave myself to shame; I needed a way to conceal it.

I had never known about this my whole life. I wonder how my mom could keep a secret like this for so long. The sound of boots squeaking against the floor were approaching. Scrambling, I was looking for a discreet spot to hide this. I didn't understand why I would need to hide this, it seemed perfectly safe. The boots were mere feet away. I sighed and threw the emblem in my mouth, pushing it to the side.

When the door opened, it was the Peacekeeper from earlier. _Hmm, they must have assigned Tributes._

"Let's go." He held out an arm, I followed.

We regrouped with the other three. The Peacekeepers pushed us off to an exit in the Justice Building. A shiny, black car stood idling in the driveway. We all situated ourselves in the seats. This was the very first time I have ever ridden in a car. It went to a jostling start. Effie began blabbering about what to expect at the Capitol while I was off in my own world, looking out windows at the gaunt and empty-eyed District 12 citizens. Effie mentioned something about a penthouse and how fast the train could go. The bumps and stones in the road were agitating the car. The crowd thinned out, but became dense again and we came to an abrupt stop at the front of what I was guessing to be the train. It appeared to be about the size of a full coal cart, only instead of unaesthetic and rusty iron, it was composed of sleek and polished chrome. Katniss and Peeta looked indifferent since they've already experienced the ride to the Capitol. Indigo and I were astonished, as if little children seeing a loaf of bread the size of a leg on the dinner table. We looked at eachother and smiled. Peeta motioned for the two first-time tributes to enter the train first.

The door swiftly slid open, I jumped back, bumping into Katniss who was laughing along with Effie and Peeta. We were directed left and were greeted to a dining hall filled with assorted pastries and beverages. Indigo walked up to where I was. We delved ourselves in the free feast. Peeta told us not to fill ourselves up or else we'd get sick. Whatever. When we could eat no more, Effie showed us to our individual train cars. Our rooms were at least as large as half my house, and that was only including _just_ the bedroom. I got the car at the end. Peeta and Katniss had left, but Effie toured us around the car showing us the amenities inside. I only kept following her, almost ignoring every word she said. I marveled the work done on the walls, the intricate designs of the decors that sat around. Even the lamps' designs were complex, nothing I would've taken the time to do. Suddenly, as if a light switch had been flipped inside me, I recognized two words that could make me fall to my knees. Hot. Water. I tried my best to calmly come back into the conversation; I needed to know how to operate this new-found technology. When I saw the inside of the shower, it was very simple. Tile walls and floors surrounded the chrome shower head. The chrome handle looked easy to operate. Right for cold and left for hot, or was it right for hot and left for cold. I'd figure out anyway later on.

Thankfully, that was the last of our exploration. Effie and Indigo left me in my room, I waved over to them. Once the door closed and their shadows gone, I immediately dropped my clothes and dashed over to the shower. In excitement, I tested my first hypothesis to get hot water. When the water came out, it was frigid cold, I jumped back. _Maybe it just takes a little while_. I waited. I then turned the handle to the opposite side, and stepped in. The water's temperature rapidly increased and within seconds the water was steaming hot. I jumped out, jittering around from the heat. Staying to the walls and trying my best to avoid the hot water, I slid the handle to a more comfortable temperature. I slid right in. I let the water pour over me, and I delighted myself in its soothing warmth. I completely and totally neglected the fact that I would need clothes and a towel. I walked around the train car, the felt carpet absorbing every drop. I shivered in the cool air. I found another pair of doors across the bathroom doors. I opened them and they were stocked full of Capitol-grade clothing all my size. I picked out a comfortable outfit and went back to the dining hall to join the others.

The onboard chefs were serving some sort of fish. I've only seen fish once in my life and that was when a tribute caught one in a lake. Someone new was gathered at one end of the table. He had long blonde hair and had stubble lining the lower half of his face.

"Indigo, Luke, I would like to introduce you to Haymitch. Ever since the 74th Hunger Games, he has been the only living tribute."

"Oh, nice to meet you Haymitch." I stuck out my hand and he accepted it. "I'm Luke."

"Indigo," added my partner.

"Well nice meeting you." Peeta and Katniss were raising eyebrows. Haymitch was probably acting different than what they would've expected.

"So Indigo, Luke, do you know what a Quarter Quell is?"

We looked at each other in confusion.

"Well, a Quarter Quell happens every 25 years, and when it comes around, as you can see the number of tributes is doubled. Two new tributes, and two other tributes from the pool of Victors, so you're in for a surprise."

I took a bite of my fish. _Damn that tastes good._

"What should we expect at the arena?" asked Indigo.

"Well, you should definitely make sure you watch your back," said Katniss.

"And your head too," added Peeta.

"The competition in these games can get rough. People won't know which one tribute they should bet on or sponsor."

"But seeing your kind personality, you'll definitely catch on fast," said Effie.

"Plus you just can move only the crowd, you have to master the skills too," said Haymitch.

"Just stick with us. We'll hold you through," assured Katniss.

"But what about once it's just down to us four?" I asked.

The dinner table grew silent. The two Victors and Haymitch communicated via eye contact.

"We'll work out a plan. It'll never fail." Katniss reassured. She smiled. I smiled back.

"So Effie, how long will it take to get to our destination?" I asked Effie.

"Well at this speed, we'll reach the Capitol by tomorrow afternoon."

I nodded. I didn't know how large Panem was, or how far District 12 was from the Capitol.

We finished up our meal and servants carried up our dishes. I handed mine to one of them.

"Tha-" Haymitch cut me off before Effie saw.

"Luke, those are Avoxes. You never interact with any of them," he sternly said.

"Why?"

"Didn't they ever teach you this in scho-" he paused, "Well Avoxes are criminals who get their tongues cut off and are forced to serve the rest of their lives like this. Interaction with one can turn into you into one of them real fast."

I nodded. We walked away.

"Thank you," I told Haymitch.

The door slid open. I inspected the closet to see what clothes were comfortable to wear to sleep. None of them did. They either had to much fabric, looked too warm, or were too thin. I decided it would be best to just buff it out. The clothes I was wearing currently were causing me to heat up. The blankets looked really thick and soft. I pushed my clothes off to a corner with my original clothing. The sheets felt really nice and the bed conformed to my body shape. The deep hum of the train gliding over the metal lulled me to sleep. It felt strange not hearing the insects that croaked outside in 12.

I suddenly thought about how my mother was faring. If only there were a way I could communicate with her. She always kept her arms taut around me. Suddenly I went back to that fateful day.

I was over by the bakery with my family. My dad was getting ready to go down into the mines. We talked and talked, laughing till we fell to the ground at times. Then the horn rang to station the workers to the elevator into the tomb. I sat with my mom under a tree by the market. Suddenly, I felt a small rumble. I looked up at my mom. I was only 12 at the time, but I knew what was going on. The tremors soon grew as a depression began to form by some homes set close to the elevators. They soon crumbled as the depression deepened. I ran over to the edge, my mom following, the both of us toppling over, sobbing.

A mine collapse.

I knew it would happen someday. Everyday I went down there, I feared for my life. The Capitol was selfish with providing us metal to support the ceiling. More than a third of the mining tunnels were unsupported. The tunnels grew wider and higher as we carved away the insides in search for the Capitol's precious coal, none of it we could keep for ourselves. My dad kept telling me to take advantage of my vacation days. He even asked the head to transfer his days over to mine. I protested, but he insisted.

That smile that he left us with will never leave me.

After the incident, we went through the whole ceremony at the Justice Building and I was put off for at least a month before they could re-dig a mine.

My mother, however, changed.

She would take me everywhere with her, holding me by her side, more than she ever did before the collapse. Every time I asked if I could go see my friends, she would quickly reply with a no. She clung on to me, the last living memory of her husband. She even went to the Justice Building and asked if there was anything else I could do. They treated me indifferent from everybody else. We saved as much as we possibly could, since we wouldn't be able to support ourselves easily, at least for the next three years. The heavy work began at age sixteen. She cried when I went back to work after my sixteenth. I kept telling her it would be fine and that I would try my best to work close to the elevators.

Every time Reaping Day would come, she'd be pacing the adult area, twiddling her thumbs, biting her nails off, or just keeping a hand cupped over her mouth. She became overprotective of me.

I felt pity for her, being Reaped. Now she was alone at home. There was no way she could support herself at the rate we could together. Working at the black market gave you a salary that fluctuated constantly. Some days she would sneak in a few squirrel or frog legs. Greasy Sae had died four years ago at age 95. She must have seen all the pain the Hunger Games have done. Her delicious food was gone. A well-missed dish of hers was pine wood stew with various evergreen leaves from around the place. No one, and I mean _no one_ could replicate that dish. It definitely became a District 12 delicacy.

I looked away from the ceiling of the train. To my right side was a display that showed numbers. It read 12:52. During the Games, the only numbers I saw were the odds and I never knew what they meant. Sometimes they would be split by a line, but sometimes it was two dots. _Oh well._

Closing my eyes, I dreamed a dreamless sleep.


End file.
